Driving Standards Agency research shows that the current average is 45 hours of tuition, with an additional 22 hours private practice to pass. Your instructor will give you an idea of how long you are likely to need after your first lesson.

Driving Standards Agency strongly recommends that you take lessons from an Approved Driving Instructor. If your friend or relative teaches you they must be over 21 years of age and have held a Full British Driving License for at least 3 years. It’s worthwhile remembering too that learning with a friend or relative means you could pick up their bad habits.

On your practical driving test, you will be asked two ‘show and tell’ questions about safety and maintenance checks on your car. Getting one or both of them wrong will count as a driving fault on your practical driving test.

Q1: Open the bonnet, identify where you would check the engine oil level and tell me how you would check that the engine has sufficient oil.

Q8: Tell me how you would check the tyres to ensure that they have sufficient tread depth and that their general condition is safe to use on the road.

A: No cuts and bulges, 1.6mm of tread depth across the central ¾ of the breadth of the tyre and around the entire outer circumference.

‘Show me’ questions

Q9: Show me/explain how you would check that the power-assisted steering is working before starting a journey.

A: If the steering becomes heavy the system may not be working properly. Before starting a journey two simple checks can be made. Gentle pressure on the steering wheel, maintained while the engine is started, should result in a slight but noticeable movement as the system begins to operate.

Alternatively, turning the steering wheel just after moving off will give an immediate indication that the power assistance is functioning.

Q10: Show me how you would check that the headlights and tail lights are working.